8/09/2008 | VICTORIOUS St Pat’s coach Kevin Grimshaw says that a first half ambush was the key to his team’s heart-stopping win over Mudgee at Carrington Park yesterday.
Grimshaw’s side piled on four unanswered tries in a devastating opening 20 minutes which ultimately decided the game and saw his Saints claim the Group 10 premier league title for the first time since 2001.
8/09/2008 | A dominant second half has secured the Bathurst Panthers back-to-back first division premierships after a 34-16 win over Orange CYMS in the grand final at Carrington Park yesterday.
The teams went to half-time locked at 6-all but Panthers came out and blew CYMS off the field in the opening 20 minutes of the second half, scoring four tries.
Two quick tries to CYMS gave them a glimmer of hope but they needed 14 points in the final 10 minutes to take the lead.
8/09/2008 | ON a day when St Pat’s celebrated their holy grail and the life of one of their favourite sons, it was only fitting that a bustling prop would take out the award named in his honour.
Wade Judd was a nervous man as he walked up to accept the inaugural Dave Scott Medal for the best on ground in the Group 10 premier league decider – but not half as nervous as he was before the match.
8/09/2008 | The Dubbo Kangaroos had every reason to celebrate their third successive Central West Rugby Union grand final victory on Saturday after crushing Bathurst Bulldogs 32-12 in the grand final.
After a masterful pre-game plan was devised by Dubbo coaches Wayne Stewart, Tony Dixon and Geoff Koerstz, the ’Roos arrived full of running and in reality smashed their opponents into submission.
8/09/2008 | VANQUISHED Bulldogs coach Mick Burgess believes that a five-minute period just before half-time eventually accounted for his team in the Central West Rugby first grade decider against the Dubbo ’Roos on Saturday.
Burgess’ men went down 32-12 to the formidable Dubbo team who have now won three titles on the trot and showed just why they have lost just once in two seasons.
8/09/2008 | A STUNNING first half display set up St Pat’s first Group 10 premier league title in seven years after a thrilling 19-12 win over the Mudgee Dragons at Carrington Park yesterday.
Playing high on emotion after a pre-match address from Liz Scott, St Pat’s executed the best first 40 minutes of their season and it was only an unusually off day with the boot from captain Trent Hemsworth kept Mudgee in the game.
5/09/2008 | AFTER 15 rounds of competition the Bathurst A grade netball competition heats up tomorrow when the four finalists begin the play-offs for premiership glory.
In one of the most closely fought regular seasons on record, only All Saints failed to make a genuine impact on the competition while Out Of Touch Magpies were the unlucky side to miss out on the top four.
Those who did make it could barely be separated and will each head into the finals with realistic hopes of taking the next step.
5/09/2008 | John O’Shea has opened the 2008/09 season at Bathurst Harness Racing Club with a start to finish win in the $4500 Flashing Red Pace (1730m) on Wednesday evening.
Sporting impressive new green silks with a purple and white checked sash, O’Shea got Peggy Rick ($3.50) out to an early lead from barrier three and despite challenges throughout the race, was never headed.
5/09/2008 | ORANGE Tigers won the 2002 Central West AFL grand final last time Orange hosted a finals game and the club is hoping home ground advantage tomorrow will help them through to this year’s decider.
The Tigers host tomorrow’s final against Bathurst at Bloomfield with six years having past since Orange was last the scene for finals action.
5/09/2008 | They returned to some of their best form against the Dubbo Demons last week and now Bathurst Bushrangers will be out to beat Orange Tigers at Bloomfield Oval tomorrow for a place in the Central West AFL grand final.
It’s been an up and down season for the Bushrangers, who made a strong start to the season before experiencing a form slump as an injury crisis hit the club.
5/09/2008 | It’s every players’ dream to finish with their time with a club with a grand final win and Ray Lange will have that opportunity when he runs on the field against Dubbo tomorrow.
The Kiwi joined the Bulldogs two years ago and experienced the pain of the side missing the finals for the first time, but he can contrast that with the sweetness of making the grand final in 2008.
Lange said the fairytale was something he something he was thinking about too much.
4/09/2008 | JASON Richards and Greg Murphy will team up for Sprint Gas Racing for the next two rounds of the V8 Supercar series.
Richards and Murphy will drive the No.3 Sprint Gas Commodore at the L&H 500 this month and the Super Cheap Auto Bathurst 1000 in October and the duo expect to be very competitive in both races.
“The team has been working towards the endurance rounds all season. I think we’ll be fast,” Richards said.
4/09/2008 | THE CSU Mungoes will attempt to take out their first Tertiary League silverware since 1998 when they take on Newcastle in the second division grand final on Saturday.
The university side booked their spot in the decider with a thrilling 22-18 win over Cumberland University at Western Weekender Stadium in Sydney last weekend and are now just 80 minutes away from a trophy that no-one would have thought possible even two years ago.
4/09/2008 | While they have lost all three games they have played against Dubbo Kangaroos this year, Bathurst Bulldogs’ coach Michael Burgess believes his side is a good chance of getting a breakthrough win in this Saturday’s Central West Rugby decider.
Burgess said with a near full strength side, he and co-coach Richard Smith will look to give the side a relaxing preparation for the big one.
4/09/2008 | ONE man who won’t be at Carrington Park on Sunday but will be hanging on frequent updates from some of his former teammates is St Pats’ 2007 captain-coach Chris Osborne.
Osborne will be unable to attend the Group 10 premier league decider between his old club and the Mudgee Dragons but says he will be desperately hoping to see the trophy go to the Bathurst team.
4/09/2008 | ORANGE Waratahs’ hopes of securing a third-straight Western Premier League premiership came to a heartbreaking end after Bathurst ’75 secured a gripping 2-1 win in Tuesday night’s final at Waratah Sportsground.
3/09/2008 | ONE of the stories of St Pat’s season so far in 2008 has been the return of half-back Josh Laurie after a two year absence from the club and his role in propelling the side all the way to the Group 10 premier league grand final this Sunday.
Laurie was with the club during some successful but ultimately unfulfilling years from 2003 through to 2005 while studying at CSU.
3/09/2008 | Bathurst 1 are through to the semi-finals of State League netball after defeating Forbes 47-18 at Bathurst Indoor Sports Stadium on Sunday.
Boasting their strongest squad for some time, Bathurst were unbackable favourites against Forbes, who also struggled for numbers and whose only points in the competition so far had come from a forfeit by Bathurst 2.
“Apart from my sister, we had a full squad,” senior player Paige Eslick said.
3/09/2008 | A GLOOMY outlook greeted shooters on the first of the multi range B Gurdon Cup and A Pratley Trophy commencing on the 300-yard mound and moving to the 500-yard mound to conclude the day’s shooting.
With just a whisper of rear fishtail breeze and an increasingly darkening sky, scores in the early stage were, not really, up to scratch.
3/09/2008 | BATHURST Touch Football competition is one of the strongest summer sports in Bathurst and the success of the competition is due in no small part to the 20 years of service that David Weekes has given to association.
“I’ve just been elected for my 20th consecutive year on the committee, this year as treasurer,” Weekes said.
During that time Weekes said there had been a number of changes including grounds and player numbers but said the changes to referees and rules were the most significant.